Tactical Combat
by Special Agent Black Storm
Summary: Anger, fear and mistrust can destroy even the strongest of people. But if you know someone well enough, they'll know before you do, that you've forgiven them. For Sam and Jack is there enough to go around? [SJ UST][Previous Errors to Chapter 3 have been f
1. Premptive Strive

Title: Tactical Combat

Chapter: One

Summary: Samantha Carter is called to the SGC on her day off for unspecified reasons. Why is the base deserted when she gets there? When a hand written note from General O'Neill tells her to report to the commissary, she knows something is up. As she launches a 'rescue' attempt, she also exposes something Jack never affiliated with her.

Author/ Fic Notes: A Prequel to another fic, which is, still a work in progress, but it will be there soon! I was in a particularly 'irritated' mood, and couldn't to find any Sam combat fics, or analysis of firearms used in the SGC, so I thought, I'd take a go at writing my own…so if it seems I was annoyed while I was writing…. I was.

The weapons mainly focused on here are: Kimber Custom Target TSO II (which _doesn't exist, _officially, but think of a Custom TLE but _better_.) and the Beretta M9, 96 and 92 SF 9mm. They were accurate at the time of writing and my sources, otherwise, I have no idea.

By the way, this fic has the 'ideal' bunch, that is; Jacob and Janet are around. This will probably be my one fic with minimal (if any) Sam/Jack in it. However… you know me…can't stay away from the SJ… so I think a confrontation _might_ be warranted, you never know…there's always chapter 2.

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"It had better not be the tech guys again…I just got kicked off base by the General for helping them out on 'one last thing' on my day off...again." Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter grumbled, finally locating her cell phone, which had been lodged in her Volvo's engine.

"Carter,"

"There's a situation at the SGC, ma'am." The person spoke, slightly panicky, "Something has happened to all the personnel on base,"

Sam's blood chilled. "What's is it?"

"I'm sorry, I can't discuss it over the phone,"

"I'm of the 2IC's, and you call me because 'something has _happened_ to the personnel on the base'. Don't tell me you can't discuss this over the phone!" She barked into the phone, automatically switching to dangerous Colonel-mode, something she'd gleaned from her predecessor, O'Neill.

"Sorry ma'am. It's the um…gray tunnel, it just opened…people aren't uh…around anymore," The person stuttered.

"I'll be right there." Carter said, recognizing the code for a Gate Activation and assault, and that there personnel were missing. She looked at her car—half the engine was intact, the other half was strewn across the floor…maybe she should take the bike out instead.

She ran inside to hastily change out of her oil-smudged clothes into jeans, standard black tank top, and grabbed her leather jacket and gun. She almost twisted her ankle running with her boots half on, almost vaulting onto her bike. Ten seconds later, nothing but skid marks were left in the driveway.

Her drive was tense, and she couldn't shake the feeling something was up. Upon her arrival, things had, indeed been odd, and she had drawn her Kimber Custom Target TSO II. Surprising the guards at the first checkpoint. When she saw the familiar face of the guard, she lowered it. The guard had lowered the tip of his rifle, and allowed her to pass.

Relieved, Carter reholstered her weapon to her waist. She'd gotten it shortly after her first year at the SGC, finally fed up with the old unreliable Beretta's M9 issues the SGC had been carrying then, the ones with the cracked alloys and faulty slides. It might have been a psychological thing, but this gun made her feel safe and it meant a lot to her.

She'd customized the trigger, grips— everything. The ammunition she chose was top line and expensive, although sometimes she wondered why she bothered since she was really wasting her money on shooting things that wanted to kill her.

Still, it was a piece of technology that Sam had put her life on several times. Better than anything the Goa'uld would come up with. Though no one knew, it always went off world with her, and had been used several times to save SG1's butts and there were times where it barely left her side.

At the last security checkpoint, the only people there were some slightly jittery young SF's. They hastily checked her ID, and gave her a message. The message detailed that things had gone bad, and that she shouldn't go to the Gate or Control room, instead, she should head to the Commissary, of all places.

It was in General O'Neill's writing. This was bad.

The colonel made her way to the elevator carefully. While waiting, she unholstered her weapon again, planning to check the car first. The doors opened, she did her sweep. Satisfied, she punched the button that had Daniel's coffee stains on it.

Upon riding down to the right level, Carter got a slightly jittery feeling. She hoped to Thor that the elevator car didn't jolt to a stop like in a movie. _If the lights flicker even just once…._ Her senses were on high alert, and she was ready for anything.

Already, from what she had seen, her training told her that something very out of place had happened. She stayed in the shadows, staying silent and unseen to an invisible and deceptive enemy. Her Kimber always at the ready. The whole thing struck her as rather odd.

First, the hallways were completely deserted…no bodies, no personnel, no klaxons. They were clear and free of any traces that any struggle had taken place. Had Ba'al systematically beamed everyone up? But then why the Stargate activation? Or was it maybe the Asgard?

Second, there was the rather cryptic message from the General detailing that upon her arrival, she was to report straight to the commissary. And it was in his handwriting.

_Were the intruders after the base supply of Jell-O, coffee and pie or something?_ She scolded herself for momentarily loosing concentration, and made a mental note not to listen to General O'Neill so much.

The base was on emergency lighting and power, and her senses were giving weird signals, as she got closer to the commissary. The dim green lights casting weird effects on the usually already dank walls, making her shadow creep silently behind her. Sam could feel the presence of a symbiote. And not just one. Many.

She made it to outside the designated position without incident. Breathing quietly, she stealthily made her way into the commissary; the safety on her sidearm was already off. The cold metal of the gun felt cold, and she felt the extra magazines heavy on her belt. The colonel crept behind the door, and peeked through the looking panel on the door. It was completely dark inside, the lighting had been pulled; but something was afoot. Where were the tables?

She pressed her hip against the door, the magazines on her belt thudding softly as it contacted with the wooded door. Sam berated herself for the break in silence; that one mistake could have cost her life. The General would have been disappointed, he'd taught her better than that.

As she eased the door open, she was relieved that the door didn't creak like it usually did. She let her movements be contrary to the stiff, overly rigid stances that were often seen in films and even in green agents and soldiers. She allowed the private training O'Neill had given her take over. She moved without stiff swinging and angular movements, instead, she let her movements flow in practiced moves.

Her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, but the Colonel was still glad that there weren't any tables or chairs to bump into. Not that she'd seen anyway. It suddenly occurred to Carter that she might also need to be prepared for hand-to-hand combat, and not just her gun. She felt her finger tighten on the weapon at the thought, and hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Keeping her back close to the wall, Sam plotted to move to a less open location. She hadn't made it five paces, when she felt a body next to her. Without hesitation, she kneed them where she assumed would have been the groin of a human, or the head of anything smaller.

As her knee found its target, her victim moaned, so Sam decided it was a human. In the dark she could tell it was humanish, she quickly shoved her free hand hard against the windpipe, slamming the person's head into the wall in the process.

If it was a Tok'ra or Jaffa, she and any chance of salvaging an alliance were sooo dead…

Sam was about to deliver a kick to her downed victim, when she felt strong arms snake around her waist, dragging her away. As she felt her captors hands graze the skin where her shirt had ridden up, she felt a shiver. It was creepily familiar, but she couldn't place it.

Sam didn't have time for thinking as she struggled violently trying to shoot, but found she couldn't without risking shooting herself. She kicked him in the shin, and in return she felt the force around her ribs increase painfully.

As she tried more desperate measures to get free, her captor also decided to step up their defense. One arm was still around her ribs, but the other was starting to apply pressure to her throat, slowly, almost hesitantly. As he breathed down her neck, Carter could have sworn that she could place his familiar woodsy scent, and the slight stubble on its cheek as it brushed her temple. She gargled as the pressure on her windpipe increased, and she heard her captor mutter a deep, "Crap."

The grip on her throat loosened a little, and she could think and breathe again. _So…he's a sympathetic chivalrous snakehead from Earth, who also happens to like woody aftershave? Is that it? _She thought briefly, as the pressure grew again, this time more almost more carefully then before. She let out a gasp and gave her head a sudden thrust backwards.

Her head impacted with what seem to be cartilage and her captor hissed in pain, the arms holding her hostage loosened, and Carter took advantage of his distraction and flipped him. A second later, she was on top him, pinning them to the ground, her knee in their stomach, gun at his throat.

However, his hands were free and he deftly moved the gun away with a sweep of his hand. They struggled, and her captor starting to wriggle out of grasp. Carter knew it would only be a matter of time before her stronger opponent overpowered her.

So far, she'd been taking advantage of the fact that they didn't want to hurt her. But she still couldn't get a safe shot. So she was faced with the dilemma of whether or not to give up the gun, and take him out without it. Either way, she had to decide soon; her confidence was riding on adrenaline and that wouldn't last for long.

Thus far, the safety catch had remained off, and the gun hadn't gone off yet, but she felt fingers trying to pry the weapon from her fingers, and she tightened instinctively. The customized trigger caused a shot to be fired with less pressure applied than normal, hitting the concrete somewhere before she heard something moan in pain.

In the dark, Samantha Carter smiled grimly. Good, she'd hit someone. She hoped they die and rot in Netu.

Her opponent took advantage of her distraction and yanked their arms so that they were straight, and clicked the safety back on. While she was distracted trying to take it back off again, he'd ejected the magazine of the gun in one swift and practiced movement

Frustrated, she allowed the grip on one of her hands loosen momentarily. To her chagrin, she felt the top slide serrations drag under her hand as the slide was pulled back to eject unspent bullet still in the chamber.

The weapon was useless now, so they discarded the weapon in favor of hand-to-hand. Sam was trying her best to win, but her opponent didn't seem to be attacking with the same vigor, yet he was overpowering her. This only served to frustrate her further and she started to make mistakes.

Finally, she managed to backhand him in the face, but not before he tried to grab her hand, but caught her jaw with his elbow. She whimpered at the unexpected blow, and tried to sit up, kicking them somewhere to hopefully keep them down a while.

Apparently it worked, as she felt a sharp inhale and the body flop over her leg, and she violently kicked them again. When her head stopped spinning, she returned her attack to her opponent. This time, he seemed to let her get him.

The Colonel had her attacker pinned to the concrete floor, crouching over him, knee again firmly in the stomach and one hand on his throat, the other on his lips. She felt a vibration under her hand and his lips moving under her touch and then she heard the order in a _very_ familiar voice, "Lights!"

As soon as she heard it, Sam automatically felt her hands relax. Her hands released her victim before her head told them to. They burnt from where they'd been touching his skin, and the knee that had been between his legs buckled, and she ended up in a very compromising position.

The adrenaline was fading, but embarrassment was coming on rapidly. Her hands seemed to recognize that voice before her ears did. However, if she was right…then she was in some _very, very, very_ big trouble…

There was a scurry and sounds of a few collisions as previously silent people scrambled to find the light switch. Things were knocked over, but after liquid in a glass container was spilt, the room was swathed in light.

"Fer cryin' out Loud… gah!" Came the voice from underneath her, and she could feel his throat going up and down. "Aye…"

"Crap," Sam said suddenly looking very scared and tired.

She was on top of General Jack O'Neill, and they were in the middle of the commissary. If someone had told her that as going to happen an hour ago, she would have laughed. But she wasn't in the laughing mood now. Apparently, she wasn't really in control of her body anymore either, but she pushed up on either side of his head, and moved off of him.

It was then that Carter noticed the colorful bunting and banner, which read, "Happy Birthday!" She moved her body further away from his, strangely missing his heat. He rolled over onto his side, panting.

"Well I think the element of '_Surprise' _worked a little too well," He gasped out, his voice slightly strangled. He pushed off from the ground, and sat up as well as he heard several snickers.

Ry'ac and Teal'c, looking rather amused, were supporting a very pained and weary looking Jacob. Daniel was leaning against a wall also breathing hard, Janet hovering over him in concern. Of course, the Spacemonkey had a hole in his arm, so he probably had a reason. Jack took a look at his 2IC, and decided it probably wasn't the best idea to rip her a new one in front of various representatives of earth. Thor and his little cute grayness was by Daniel, also assessing the damage.

Carter had no idea how to react, vaguely seeing her father looking battered.. This was _so_ the end of her career. She was suddenly very scared. She definitely didn't see this as a little friendly combat between friends. This was assaulting a senior officer, provoked or not. She had tried to kill him, and her father who was another General. Court martial for a Lt. Colonel assaulting one General, let alone two, would not be looked upon kindly. And a Tok'ra General too…. Crap

Sam closed her eyes, this couldn't happen to her. It couldn't end like this, not now. Not after everything she'd worked for. "Sir, I'm really, really sorry…I,"

She was still slightly dazed from the blow to the head, and the room started to spin again, her eyes flickered back and she started to slip the floor. O'Neill caught her, and motioned to Teal'c, "Teal'c get her for me will you?"

The Jaffa nodded, a trace of a rather triumphant smile on his face. He bent and carefully picked up the conscious, but dazed Colonel Carter and carefully put her on a chair in the middle of her father and Daniel Jackson had been unceremoniously dropped.

Carter was too busy worrying about her demise to notice that Daniel had a hole in his arm, which Janet and Thor were trying to tend to. On her other side, her own father wasn't looking too comfortable either, a red line running across his throat from where his daughter had struck him.

The General, who was still on the ground at this point, accepted the hand that Bra'tac and Ry'ac extended, grinning embarrassedly. Once back at his full height, he addressed the rest of the people in the room to dismiss them, "Why don't you all go try the pie? We'll be done in a minute,"

People shuffled away, and it was clear what the crowds were buzzing about. Soon, only Bra'tac, Jacob, Janet and SG1 remained near the chairs. Nothing was said; no one knew exactly what to say, until Bra'tac spoke in amusement, "Colonel Carter, you are indeed a formidable warrior," He gave her a clap on the shoulder, bowed and stood back.

Teal'c bowed his head and tried to hide a smile, "Did I not tell you O'Neill? I told you Colonel Carter would not be taken by surprise,"

"Alright. Alright" Jack said rubbing his eyes with one hand, and holding his free hand up to stop more mocking from Teal'c. "Daniel, you go up to the Infirmary with the doc, but I want you two back here ASAP. Where I assume Thor will beam you up from to treat your arm?"

Daniel nodded with an embarrassed smile, a little shocked that Jack could tell from across the room but let Janet lead him out of the room. The two were followed by cheers, hoots and laughter from the personnel around the pie.

"That Daniel… always the center of attention," He said, turning his attention back to the remaining people in front of him and tried to lighten up the mood. "Well, Carter, you sure know how to bash up an old guy,"

"Sorry sir," Carter replied, in a completely professional tone. She was starting to come out of her daze, and her head was in her hands. She waited bravely for an onslaught of anger.

"I was referring to your _father_,"

Her eyes widened…she was _not_ expecting that. She looked next to her, and took in the sight of her father in civvies, but looking rather disheveled. "Did I…?"

Jacob only nodded, and took his daughter's hand. Sam couldn't meet his eyes, and forced her eyes down to the ground, biting her lip. Hitting your own father, how low could you get.

Jacob and Selmak looked at the blonde woman next to them. She looked like she was about to cry, and as much as it was tempting to pretend they were mad, they were very proud of the way she'd fought. Even many Tok'ra didn't know how to fight hand-to-hand, as was the same thing with the Goa'uld. Jack must have caught on that he wanted to talk to his daughter, because he, Teal'c and Bra'tac politely stepped away.

"Sam, look at me, I know you think I'm mad," Jacob began softly, feeling his daughter stiffen, "But I'm not, really, In fact I'm proud of you,"

"But…"

"As far as I know, you were called in on the grounds that there had been an alien assault on the base. When something wasn't right, you attacked without hesitation. If I had been the enemy, I probably wouldn't have anticipated that at all. I'd probably be pretty…damaged. But you fought back, and I'm proud of you,"

"Thanks Dad," Sam looked up at her father, "It means a lot to me. But I'm not sure the General will think the same way. He'd be well within his rights to have me court marshaled. So would you for that matter,"

"That would be a no, on both counts. I think you're underestimating Jack," Jacob said, scratching his head, "The man adores you…"

"Dad!" she said, blushing and catching the aforementioned General's eyes who raised his eyes such a fashion that Sam couldn't decide whether he'd heard her father or not. Let alone whether he really felt that way about her or not.

"What? Selmak beat death—again. You think I'm gunna let you wallow in denial deep enough for the both of you?"

"Yes,"

"Listen Sam…You two have been through more together than anyone else I know. I don't think he'd throw that away on something like this." He reasoned, and then added, "Besides, you kicked his ass, he's probably more proud of you than anything,"

Jack watched as Carter turned to giver her father a hug, and laughed when Jacob winced when she touched his neck. He'd heard the last part of the conversation---Jacob was right. He was more proud of her than anything—but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to let her have it. As a General of course.

He bent down to pick up the discarded weapon and its magazine, almost falling over again. Damn Carter packed some force! He heard snickers in the background from the vicinity of Bra'tac and Teal'c and glared at them. So much for Jaffa loyalty…

As he turned gun over in his hands, he noticed that modifications had been made from the weapon's standard magazine capacity of seven to fifteen as in a Beretta 96. He made his way over to where the magazine was lying a few feet away. He loaded the gun and couldn't resist checking out is practical features. He raised his arm straight forward, taking imaginary aim. It sure was ergonomic….and deadly.

What in the world was Carter doing with a weapon like this? He'd known that she had major irks about the Beretta M9's, 92's and 96's that they'd started out with in the beginning, but General Hammond had ordered new customized weapons after they'd almost blown up Klorel and Apophis the first time around.

While Jack wasn't as familiar with this weapon from his SOTT as Carter obviously was; you don't just get such a customized Kimber (or any weapon for that matter), just for the heck of it. Certainly not for self-defense. Jack knew from dark experience that only certain people carried the weapon and ammunition before him—and his 2IC had never struck him as one of them.

Maybe a catch up talk was a little over due, as was a lecture about certain models of _firearms_….

Seeing that the conversation between father and daughter was over, he stuck the weapon in the waistband of his jeans, under his shirt, and strode over purposefully. His 2IC stood to attention quickly.

He could tell in her eyes that she was feeling guilty. Not that she shouldn't, she _had_ just assaulted two Generals, one her CO, the other her father. However Jack was relieved to see that she hadn't turned out like him, that even after years of partaking in such battle conditions, she hadn't outgrown the instinct to be afraid of hitting a superior—that she hadn't reached that corrupted yet (although to Jack, Sam was hardly corrupted).

Suddenly, the room temperate dropped several degrees, and all was quiet.

"At ease, Colonel. Can I have a word, privately?" he asked, a tad coldly. She her bow her head and her body language seem to accept what ever was coming. If she'd been paying attention, she would have noticed the grin on his lips.

"Yes sir," She said meekly, and started to walk out stiffly. Jack sighed and followed her; he let his hand rest lightly on the small of her back, and felt her relax slightly.

He saw her watching and gauging him out of the corner of her eye and he leaned over into her personal space and whispered in her ear, "Relax Carter…the fun is only just beginning,"

Sam was so shocked, she stumbled.

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Ok, ok. I don't really expect you to accept or like this, it was more a venting piece that a friend encouraged me to post. However, I found that writing Stargate and nothing S/J didn't exactly go as planned; you shippers may be in for a surprise yet.

Just for the record, I have nothing _big_ against Beretta's, for the most part, they're great, but I decided Sig Sauers were more LE weapons than anything else. Big thanks to Susie for her Betaing help.

Continuation or no?


	2. A Woman's Fear

Chapter: Two

Summary: Sam almost killed the two men she loved the most. Her actions were damaging enough, but will the after math be worse? Jacob made it clear that he's proud of her, but Jack still stubbornly refuses to show that he cares for her. Hurt and lost, will either trust the other again?

A/N: Yeah, here it is…Chapter two. Yay! I can't really think of much to say this time around…so by all means…enjoy the time during my shutting up.

Oh yeah…there's a lot of thinking in this chapter. HUGE thanks to Bekki, Waddles52 and Susie…you guys wouldn't believe how I get in my 'writing sprees'…lets just say…lots of dismembered snakehead parts.

Please note: for this chapter, it's important to notice where I put certain words and little words… you're all in for a big twist. Ok…don't take me toooo seriously! And there's an A/N at the end you should read!

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Previously, on Stargate SG1…

Jack sighed and followed her; he let his hand rest lightly on the small of her back, and felt her relax slightly.

He saw her watching and gauging him out of the corner of her eye and he leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Relax Carter…the fun is only just beginning."

Sam was so shocked, she stumbled.

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And now…

XxXxXxX

Jack could almost read the thoughts going through her mind as they made their way out of the commissary and into the catacombs of underground hallways. _Almost._ He could also hear the mumbling (no doubt about them) fading as they both walked further away; something that his 2IC did not seem to notice.

Carter looked straight ahead, limped a little, but otherwise, was very respectful of his presence. She tried to feign a look of complete disinterest and lack of attention at what he was up to, but O'Neill knew her well enough to know she was more than a little intrigued by his behavior.

Obviously, she was worrying whether she would get court marshaled, which was plausible, granted she had just tried to kill her father and her CO, both of whom were Generals and within a time span of ten minutes, too. Jacob had obviously told her that he was proud of her, and the Tok'ra would pursue no disciplinary action. But Jack knew she was worried about what he, as her Commanding Officer, might do.

Jacob had probably also told her that O'Neill wouldn't press charges. Whether she believed it, was another matter. By the looks of it, it didn't look like she bought it. He'd heard something that resembled, _"the mans adores you,"_ in their conversation. He hadn't meant to overhear, but he just had.

It made him wonder; was it him they were talking about? Jack did adore Sam, and so much more. He loved her, and he'd never dream of undoing her career with something as unsubstantial as this. Even if he ever _had_ had the guts or had been stupid enough to do that to her, it certainly wouldn't be on something like this.

This aside, Jack thought he saw something else in her. Worry about something else. Worry that maybe this had changed things between them. Granted, their relationship during the past year had become extremely strained, but that wasn't about to change anything, was it?

To the casual stranger, it was a mere discomfort to be around one another, but to the rest of the SGC, along with half the galaxy, knew that something was there. They knew, even if _they_ couldn't or wouldn't admit it. There was a bond.

This was where Jack was confused. Did she think that the previous seven years hadn't meant a thing to him? Did she seriously think that he would disregard the last seven years of their relationship and throw away whatever respect he had for her or alienate her for the mistake she had made? It hadn't even been _her_ mistake, fer cryin' out loud!

Truth be told, O'Neill was angry with her though definitely not in a General to a subordinate way. Jacob had been right—he was proud of her, and in retrospect maybe their little 'ambush' hadn't been such a terrific idea.

No, Jack was mad because she'd doubted him. And as a friend, she knew he hated that most of all. Hell, just being on SG1 with him for the larger part of a decade would have been enough—she should have known better.

He knew that Sam had somewhere along the way picked up on how much loyalty and faith meant to him, especially after being on units where they left people behind, despite their mottos. After a while, they'd made an unspoken pact that went beyond the one that they had with Daniel and Teal'c about never leaving anyone behind, no matter what.

The SGC was the first place Jack O'Neill had been with that always tired to find some way to bring its people home, no matter what the regulations or consequences. Even if they had to use back channels they tried to find a way.

The possibility that she might have doubted him, even for a second, hurt, especially from her. She had entrusted him with her life before, so why was she so distant because of something so petty? Off world, she would let him aim a weapon at her, pull the trigger, without believing for a second he was trying to kill her, and yet these days, when they were Earth side, they were back to the basics of it all.

She had told him once how she had never thought he'd stolen from the Tollan, however it may have looked. A few times, Jack had wondered whether or not she only trusted him because she worked with him. Then he'd shove it back into its little hole in the wall, berating himself for doubting her.

Jack had once had to convince a tribal leader that he was worthy leader in order to negotiate their freedom, much like Simarka. To do this, he had to fire a weapon against one of his own. Daniel had shrunk away, but nonetheless, put on a brave face to volunteer. Teal'c being Teal'c had automatically seen no alternative, and also stepped forwarded, arguing that Junior would heal him quicker and with less pain.

But ultimately in the end, Sam had been the one. Jack couldn't bear the thought of turning a weapon on Daniel, something that still eluded him to this very day, no matter how annoying the young archeologist got. Shooting Teal'c, even without the intent to kill, was like shooting the rebel Jaffa on a whole. He couldn't do that either.

So he had chosen her. This kind of thing happened out in the field, back on Earth unfortunately, and therefore, she was no stranger to it. Minimal damage and minimal psychological collateral, right? Luckily, it had been the alien equivalent to something between paintballs and blanks, so it hadn't been too serious.

He fired at her arm. The leader let them go. They gated home and that was that. Jack realized even if it hadn't affected her it had certainly made him appreciate her more. He'd spent months hovering around her trying to make it all right until one day she pulled him straight out of a briefing in front of General Hammond and set him straight.

But every time Jack glanced at her arm when she was wearing a black tank top number like now, he would see the small scar on her arm where the skin had been broken and healed. And now as his thoughts continued to race for his next course of action, it was a painful reminder of how much she had once trusted him. Only, unlike her wounds, their trust had never really seemed to heal.

In all his years with her, if there had been one thing he always did, as long as it wasn't technobabble, was to listen. He always took in her ideas and opinions and weighed them before spitting out a reply, even if said reply was against what she thought. Why couldn't she listen to what his eyes were saying?

The other thing that hurt Jack was the look on her face and the way she had recoiled from him. This wasn't the first time they'd been in such close proximity to each other. Hell General Hammond had caught them in a storage room together once while an alien was after them. Then there was Antarctica…. the Zay'tac incident, the alternate realties…and of course, their private combat sessions.

'_Let's face it'_ Jack had once said in his bid to convince her to spar with him, _'If we were to practice on Daniel, he'd be beaten into a pulp. No offence to the guy. And frankly, I'm not going to spar with Teal'c, because he'd just flatten me. You however, you're a challenge, and safely dangerous. Or are you scared?'_

At the time, she had thrown a retort in a colorful display of vocabulary to shove it somewhere, before he'd found himself on the ground, wondering how and what the hell he'd missed missed.

Jack had never thought that she would use 'their' moves against him, and there had never been an opportunity for it to happen. Jack wasn't sure how he felt about it all. Proud, yes. Sore, definitely. Bruised ego? Yep, that too.

And Hurt. In an indescribably, unexplainable way.

Shaking his head, Jack cleared his mind of thought just in time to drag his 2IC back from the direction of his office.

"Uh-uh, Carter. We're heading to the locker room." No, they wouldn't talk in his office or her lab; they'd find somewhere that was neutral. His hand again at the base of her spine, he urged her toward the change rooms. SG1's personal change rooms.

He felt her shiver through her shirt, and wondered whether it had been his touch. Then again, one of their memorable change room encounters _had _been the Broca Divide thingo, when they'd _sort of _made out. A little smile played at his lips as he remembered.

Sam glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, gauging him, before tucking her curiosity out of sight again. She'd been watching him and she wondered exactly what was in that unique mind of his.

At first, he had looked undecided, and a little unsure. She knew him that well. Sam's blood froze at the fact that perhaps he was deciding what he was going to do with her. One moment he'd looked spacey and deep in thought. The next, his hand had reached out to guide her back on track. She wondered whether he had noticed her reaction.

She noticed the little smile playing on his lips. It was that little quirk of the lips that had gotten her in so deep. And it was that befuddled 'I'm trying to understand here!' look that made her technobabble all the more enjoyable.

The blonde astrophysicist furiously thought about what she could have possibly said or done to amuse him to smile like _that_. It was the 'I-can-remember-something-that-you-can't-yet-but-when-you-do-you're-gunna-die-of embarrassment' smile.

Anything relating to locker rooms this last year? No. Year before…oh yes…the whole 'getting stuck on a moon thing' and her using Teal'c as a pillow…but he didn't know that. Let's see…. first year, missions…

Her eyes widened involuntarily. Their fifth mission was Daniel's little Broca Divide thing. And she vaguely remembered making a move on her CO, in front of half the male SG members also in the room at the time.

His voice was thick with amusement as he whispered in her ear mockingly, "We're going to find some neutral territory."

That did it. Samantha Carter was scared. Very scared. She had no idea how to read him at the moment. She had no ideas of his intentions. For once, she couldn't read his next move.

But _Neutral territory?_? The two of them alone in the **_LOCKER_** room? Was he **_NUTS_**?

She tried to glance over as surreptitiously as she could, but he found his gaze waiting for her. Jack flashed her a mysterious grin that made her shiver. He was letting her know that he knew that she was looking at him.

She couldn't resist a rolling of her eyes before remembering her precarious position. It probably wasn't too late for an insubordination charge on her previously completely untarnished record.

"Yep, that's the face of a crazy man." She muttered to herself, not realizing they'd stopped in front of the doors of their destination, and he could hear her because they were next to each other.

"What was that, Colonel Carter?" He asked, in a dangerously unreadable tone of voice. His face was impassive and without expression

"Nothing, sir." Sam felt her heart sink. The General looked every inch as if he had already made up his mind about what to do, and it was not in her favor.

"Good, now get in here before I have to drag you." He ordered harshly, forcing the door open.

Carter bit her lip, ducking her head as she strode passed him, fighting for control over her emotions. He'd never spoken to her like this, not even when he had thought Jolinar for a Goa'uld. She tried to steel herself, and tell herself she didn't deserve the crap he was trying to give her.

She didn't care how much she cared for this man; he was not going to get to her.

But it was easier said then done, as she stood stiffly to the side, near a wall, should she need its support.

"At ease, Colonel." He said to the woman who was standing straight as the walls beside her. Unconsciously, she took a step backwards, fiddling with her hands, as if the limbs would somehow determine the severity of the onslaught that was sure to come.

"I don't even know where to start, Carter." He started in on her, "What was that down there, huh? What were you thinking, assaulting superior officers, one of them highly decorated. Not to mention he is the Ambassador for the Tau'ri-Tok'ra Alliance, trying to salvage the said alliance in front of the Tok'ra."

"You just shot Dr. Jackson. _Daniel._" He huffed, genuinely annoyed at this, "What did he ever do to you? You do realize that if your aim had been a bit to the left, you could be facing possible manslaughter charges? Even minus the assault charges, your career would be over."

He stood and just watched her, face completely devoice of emotion as he observed her every move in a most unsettling and calculating manner. He watched the color on her face drain. He was in control.

Not for the first time since they'd left the commissary, she wondered exactly what he would do. Her mind seemed to have reached ambivalent conclusions.

The part of herself that was friends with Jack told her he would never do anything to hurt her in anyway, no matter what. He wouldn't jeopardize anything of hers. Instead, he would be there like he had always promised he would, every time one of them almost died. He'd seen her do a lot worse, and he'd never done anything. He knew how much her career meant to her.

On the other hand, that knowledge could be something to use against her in a professional sense. If O'Neill were like most other males who had their egos bruised, he'd want to hurt her. And her position at the SGC would be the way to do it.

If she lost her place in the Air Force, it could quite possibly mean the end of her access to the Stargate program. Although the majority of the scientists on base were civilian they'd want to keep her out in case she was tempted to assist the NID. But that wasn't the worst of it.

It would mean she would lose contact with her father and friends along with various other personnel and aliens. She would become distant to some of the only trusted people her life had ever had, and eventually, it would all fall apart.

No, it didn't scare Lt. Colonel Carter that her CO would fire her. What terrified Samantha Carter was how and if her best friend would take her apart piece by piece.

As loud as the voice that was telling her to trust Jack, she couldn't ignore what the General had just said. _Your career would be over._ More or less, her _life_ would be over. Not to _mention_ no more doohickeys. She should expect the unexpected.

Jack took the same moment that Sam was using to think, to gauge how much more she could take. She looked accepting, but willing to fight. He didn't want to do this to her, but it was really for her own good and he was curious himself. He was trying to divert his real anger somewhere else. As her CO, it was his responsibility to rip her a new one anyway, and if he didn't do it, someone was bound to get them in trouble

"I know your father isn't going to take action for your little 'attack' on him. But I still haven't made up my mind about you yet." _Ahh, the troubles with chains of command,_ Jack moaned silently, as he lied through his teeth.

Truth was, _actually_ calling her up on something like this hadn't even occurred to him to be an option. He wasn't even tempted. _Besides,_ he reasoned, _even if I did consider it, General Hammond would kill me._

Sam wisely kept her mouth shut, frowning; but she could feel no anger from his words. No disapproval at her professional conduct. It also seemed as if he was mocking her, before telling her what was really on his mind. She didn't have the time to thing about it any further, before he launched into yet another episode of how irresponsible and reckless she'd been.

To be honest, she was starting to become a bit annoyed at his pointless ranting as he continued to rip her actions apart. She knew her actions were questionable but it hadn't been that bad. Had he forgotten that the base had _called_ her in?

It wasn't like she just waltzed into the base with a gun with the intention of shooting of someone. Actually…. it kind of was like that. After all, she _had_ walked into the mountain with a gun, _intending_ to shoot _something_ but it had been in the best interest of Earth's security.

If she didn't know any better, she would have sworn that he was leading her on, deliberately provoking her to lead her to completely false pretenses before allowing her to see the picture. Either way, she needed to find out.

"I swear, you're such a nerd; you're no fun anymore." he said in an exasperated whine. His face held a look of innocence that made Sam frown. Now he was _really_ pushing it. "No offence but lately you've been like Daniel, but _worse._ You're so wrapped up in your astrotechnical crap that you're too uptight. I loved the pranks you used to pull on me. Now, I don't know what's been going on in your private life but the Carter I knew before would have damn well picked up on this as soon as she'd gotten the call. You've even forgotten your own birthday; don't think I didn't know that."

Her nature made her automatically defend herself to chauvinistic male members of the Air Force, but this wasn't some sexist prick. This was Jack O'Neill, one of her best friends despite the rules. So how could she prove herself to someone who already knew who she was?

Sam didn't know how she could show him her views without destroying herself in the process. But something inside her snapped when he mentioned her private life. He knew damn well to stay away from it. He knew how dangerous it was.

Completely driven by the hurt she was feeling her hand shot out and hit him squarely on the cheek, although not as hard as she would have liked. She looked a little scared, but she wasn't shocked like she had been in the commissary, "You might be my CO, General. But that doesn't mean you own me, Jack."

Sam was more shocked his name had slipped out so easily than her actions. She took another step backwards, not knowing what her back had hit; she turned to find the wall. The instant her head was turned, the General had descended on her, like an eagle to its prey, close enough so that she could feel his heat wash over her, an intense look on his face.

The look in his eyes would have frightened lesser women, but this woman had known him for the better part of a decade. She barely flinched and glared straight back, daring him to proceed.

At first, she was annoyed at him for not saying anything at all after he'd had so much to say about the kind of person she was. Then it dawned on her that he'd already come to the conclusion that they needed to cool off before it got out of hand, but she could resist the satisfaction at this one last jab at him.

Well it was too late, for her at least. She saw his plan, and now he was going to get it, CO or not. If he was her CO, he shouldn't care anyway.

"And for your information, _Jack_. I _had_ plans for my birthday." She leaned forward, bringing her face nearer to his.

"What?" he said, pulling himself back abruptly out of shock and need to retreat from her personal space.

"Pete was taking me out to celebrate." She said carelessly. "That place up at the lookout."

Jack didn't know what to say because he'd never considered this possibility. He had sensed things had been strained between Pete and Carter; he'd just hoped it had been strained enough that they wouldn't spend her birthday together.

"With Pete?" He asked softly, hurt playing in his soft brown eyes.

Sam immediately tried to take back her direct words, and be blunt, "Yes." She confirmed softly.

"Oh." Was all he said.

"Is that all you can say?" She asked at him, fury returning, hastily adding, "Sir."

"Can you really blame me for all of this? I think that I at least deserve to explain myself. I got a call 10 minutes after I got home. I was looking forward to a nice romantic night with Pete. You can imagine I was pissed when I got the call from the base but the moment they told me something had happened to you—the rest of base personnel, that changed.

"When I got here, everything was on heightened alert. The guards were jittery, and you left me a note with details that all pointed toward an ambush of some sort. Remember, _YOU_ _told _me to go to the commissary, and I was working under the assumption that there had been an attack on the base. Could you really expect me to walk in here, unarmed?"

"I was expecting a friendly to _identify_ me and brief me, not to bump into someone with a _snake_ in the dark! Then you grabbed me and started fighting me. What was I _supposed_ to think? That someone simply wanted to grope?"

Jack reddened a little bit, and had the grace to duck his head, but Sam didn't notice; she was on a roll. She was finally seeing that this wasn't her fault, and she was trying to make up for the lost time that she'd been oblivious to the fact.

"_You _should have told me it was you. SOMEONE could have shouted 'Surprise' a little earlier…. you could have blindfolded me instead of turning out the lights!" she huffed, anger and frustration wearing off. She was way beyond logic or proper conduct. She was harshly poking a finger into his chest; hard enough that Jack was sure he'd end up with bruises later.

"If you want to charge me for assault of a superior officer while under the impression I was trying to save my planet from an alien attack, then go right ahead. I _know_ I didn't do anything wrong." She leaned back against the wall in satisfaction, happy to get everything out of her system. "And if…"

Then suddenly, everything took a dangerous turn. This wasn't the way Jack wanted it to go down. He leapt forward slamming his hand forcefully centimeters away from her head. Sam was shocked, and her mouth abandoned forgotten words.

His eyes blazed, showing anger, for he was trying to re-establish control. He was looming over her, a hand right next to her head, from where he'd slammed it down to accentuate his point, supporting his weight. She looked surprised, and temporarily unable to say anything, although Jack had no idea how long it would last.

"Shut up, Carter. I wasn't done with you." He snapped at her cutting her off, bringing his face right up close to her own. "It might be your birthday, but its not too late to add insubordination to your little list."

"You're in my airspace. I suggest you find some _neutral_ territory." She looked pointedly at him, fear pulling at her combat-façade. "Sir."

"No."

Her eyes glared at him, but her grip on fear loosened, and with what little reality Jack had to grips with the situation, he wondered why he was encouraging this. She looked at him, terrified but not like earlier in the commissary.

This was the fear of a combatant, of a woman trying to get away from something that could be much worse. It took the blonde woman two seconds to register this before she remembered she'd promised herself she'd never let herself be in this position again.

Her hands shoved forcefully against his larger and prepared frame, doing little to unsteady him. The Colonel's hands sought out a location on his head, destined to reach it destination, as a missile would lock on its target. However, it was intercepted before it got the chance to impact.

A surprisingly gentle grip caught both her hands, before pushing them roughly against the wall next to her head. Sam was about to knee him where it hurt, but Jack had foreseen this and leaned his body against her own, effectively rendering her immobile. As they both struggled, they privately realized, that neither wouldn't have wanted to move in this position and such proximity anyway.

"Look at me," He growled harshly, clearly hurt.

Carter only had to tilt her head up slightly to look in his eyes and saw fury and hurt. And then she saw it. She really _saw it_.

If Samantha Carter was scared before, she was about a mile beyond that now. She was about to lose something _very,_ _very _valuable to her. The woman crumbled, held up only by her _friend's_ body pinned against her's. "Oh god! No!"

Her companion released her, and could only look at her in disappointment. This was it.

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PLEASE READ A/N BELOW

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Yay! Jack gets a violent streak…well he's always had one. We just never get to see it. Much. And no…he isn't goa'ulded!

Yeah, this is one of those fics where you never know where its gunna lead. I can just see all clogs in your little heads turning, and taking the seemingly _obvious_ 'next-step'. That being said, may I just suggest this: Expect the Unexpected

So, regardless of whatever you think of this right now, will you _please_ stick with it and see how it pans out? Lemme know what you think Sam is thinking about right now!

Storm

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31-10-2005 NEW AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Some of you obviously read the author's note and followed the instructions… which I wasn't actually expecting. After a lot of A/N's on Criminal Intent and CSI fics…I've found the it takes lot's of emphasize to get people to even look at the A/N! LOL! I'm glad you guys are an observant bunch. (Jack quote! SQUEE!) :P

A lot of you are probably also a little confused at this chapter…you'll probably stay that way until you read the next chapter. I told you it was an unpredictable fic. Anyway, don't lose sleep wondering where I'm going with this fic! Sorry for the confusion everyone! Thanks for reading!


	3. Forgiven Mistrust

Title: Tactical Combat

Chapter: 3

Summary: Anger, fear and mistrust can destroy even the strongest of people. But if you know someone well enough, they'll know before you do, that you've forgiven them. For Sam and Jack is there enough to go around? S/J UST

A/N: Just tying up the end bits from last chapter! I was rather disappointed at the lack of reviews from chapter 2, it seems either you guys didn't read it, or you forgot to tell me what you thought. But read and see if you were right with your conclusions!

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24-11-2005 A/N:

I know there was a bit of problem with this chapter's uploading. It's obviously been cleared up now! Sorry about that guys! Thanks for sticking around!

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He should have known she would see through him eventually, she was too damn brainy not to. He hadn't meant to snap at her, but his subconscious self was nagging him about how incredibly stupid this whole thing was becoming. Stupid and ridiculous because she was right; it _was_ his fault, and he'd decided to make her feel bad about it.

Now he'd pushed her too far. Jack really hadn't meant to make her see what he already feared and knew in his heart. He'd just made the situation a whole lot worse than it already was. He should have just told her off, told her it wasn't really her fault, he was sorry, and left it at that.

"You don't trust me any more," His words rang and resounded off the concrete walls.

Taking in a deep breath, he moved a step further away from her. Sam let her back slide down the wall until she was hugging her knees. Her eyes avoided his; scared of making the current situation any worse and she remained silent.

"You don't trust me," He repeated again softly, not wanting to face facts. He sat down on the bench in center of the room.

"I do," She said softly. Her eyes automatically flashed to the very eyes she was trying to avoid.

"I trust you. Really, I do. Like no one else," She insisted, her blue eyes genuinely pleading with him. "Not even Pete."

Jack wanted to believe her, but his stubborn side won out and he refused to believe her. His sarcasm had receded, and it surprised him. Then again, this was pretty much his first fight with her, but he usually laid on the sarcasm thick, even with Daniel, "You're lying,"

"No, I'm _not_," She insisted firmly. "If you trusted _me_ then you'd know I was telling you the truth,"

Without thinking, he defended himself, protesting, "I trust you!"

"Then why won't you believe me?" Sam said grumpily. Jack looked at her bewildered. How fast could this woman switch moods? One minute he had everything on her, and now he could barely keep up!

"I…" He stopped to think.

"It's a two way thing. Sir." Her eyes twinkled at him, and he knew he was had. Damn her for being a genius. He might have started off with the advantage, but she had run loops around him before he realized.

He tiredly wiped a hand over his face, stealing a glance at his watch. They had been gone for about a quarter of an hour. "Gah! I can't believe this is happening today. But we'd better get back before they start making up stories,"

"Oh believe me, this wasn't my idea of a birthday either,"

He glared at her, for upsetting the peace process. "Well, excuse me for planning you a party to get you to lighten up!"

Her face softened, a look of appreciation gracing her features, "You really did that?"

Suddenly uncomfortable, Jack looked away embarrassed, "Well, Daniel, Janet, Cassie and Teal'c insisted it be done right, I just provided the venue."

"I'm sure you did more than that," Carter looked at her CO pointedly. She hadn't failed to notice that this look always made him spill what he was up to while he'd led SG1. "Fess up,"

"So I made a couple of phone calls, pulled a few strings," He said quickly. "No biggie."

"Phone calls that went _all_ the way across the galaxy?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, its gunna be one helluva phone bill," He mused distractedly, squinting at her, "You think I'll get a discount? I mean, it's certainly far enough and we have saved the planet and all."

"What you mean for the misappropriation of military and government resources?" she pondered for a moment, "Nah?"

She flashed him a smile and he grinned back. At the same time they realized they were both okay once again. It was a little bewildering how they could make up without saying anything at all. For now anyway, there were things that needed to be said.

Straightening and clicking his fingers once, his brown eyes dutifully hardened on her, and got straight down to business, "As your CO, I'm extremely disappointed at your conduct, Colonel. What you did was reckless, stupid and dangerous. You put numerous lives at risk… I should toss you outta this mountain. "

"I honestly don't know who's more disappointed right now. Me or your father." Her head snapped up, and her blue eyes darkened on him. She had learnt her lesson very quickly, but what exactly was he trying to pull now. She didn't want to have to deal with this.

"Sorry. But, you know how hard he's been working to salvage what's left of the Alliance. You could have seriously undermined alliances treaties with the rest of our Allies!"

Sam paled, but looked like she had regained her ability to speak, so he quickly pressed on, his eyes softening, with an admiring gaze playing over his features, "But as your friend and punching bag… those were some nice hits you got in there. They hurt, believe me."

She looked a little puzzled, and Jack assumed she didn't get the messaged, so he reiterated as seriously and sincerely as he could, "Ok, I know I really suck at words. But in other words, I'm really sorry. About all the stuff I said, and you didn't do anything wrong at all and…. Just come here."

He took the opportunity to do something that he wouldn't usually do. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, trying to convey without words that they were 'okay'. Sam stiffly responded in his embrace, arms loosely around his waist. Then she heard Jack mumble briefly into her ear, "I'm proud of ya,"

"Uh ok…. You're so weird," She murmured softly, referring to how quickly they'd made up. They had never been able to stay mad at the other, but they had also never fought quite as badly as bad as they had. However, while it settled her concerns for now, she knew that it would inevitably open up more problems in the future. She was amazed but not altogether surprised at their reconciliation, and could only hope it was real and would last.

She completely relaxed, happy in the fact that she was completely assured that things could only get better now. Her hands found their way up to the back of his neck, where they usually rested on such rare occasions.

The woman briefly wondered what her fiancé would say if he saw this. After a quick deliberation, she could honestly say she didn't care, and her once subdued doubts were making themselves heard once again. Pete wasn't the one for her, but then again, she'd already known that.

So she just stood there and enjoyed the rare occasion that she was this close to her secretly admired. The security of his sinewy arms, the strong and warm bulk of his chest, different to any other. The soothing and slightly burnt wood scent. And the aura uniquely his.

The pair didn't move for a long time—time no longer a factor. After a while, it became a time to repair what they had lost over the years, the holes in their friendship and the trust that had never been healed.

She felt his nose on the skin on her neck, and she knew she'd always belong to him, no matter what aliens, laws or rings had to say. She bit her lip, absentmindedly playing with the hair on the back of his neck, berating herself for thinking such things. This was not the way an engaged woman should act about her boss.

Apparently Jack must have sensed this, and he acknowledged her by pulling her even closer, silently thinking that this could be the last time that he would ever hold her, that he could really say she was 'his' for a moment in time. But soon enough, the hardened soldier in him told him it was time to let go, that he'd lose it if they stayed that way for any longer. He would be holding her back.

He reluctantly pulled away from her warm body and casually plopped himself onto the ground next to where she was standing, and started pulling up bits of the gray carpet. After a few moments, he looked up in mild annoyance, "Carter. Sit!"

The Colonel nodded mutely, but didn't make any move to join him, as her mind was still in overload, trying to process the events. O'Neill let out a growl of frustration; occasionally she was the dumbest smart person he'd ever met, right next to Daniel and Thor. His hand shot out to grab hers to yank her down to his level. Unfortunately, with his actions being rather rash, he had failed to predict where she would land—in his lap.

The two of them tumbled into a rather unceremonious heap as her weight was added to his. Jack's arms automatically locked around her waist, holding her firm to him as they both rolled over to lie on their sides. He opened his mouth to say something—an apology, anything—and was met mouth full of mango-scented hair.

"You know Carter, every time you end up on top of me, it just get's better and better." He quipped, trying to ignore what she was doing to his body. His mind was coming to ambivalent decisions, and the problem was he didn't want to release her.

"Sir! I heard that!" Sam chastised him, exasperatedly. Although inside she was reveling at his comment.

She moved her face to see read his expression. He had managed to have enough to have the grace to look guilty. "I know, I know. Inappropriate." Then he muttered almost to himself, "Doesn't mean it's not true, though."

Sam being so close to him, had no trouble hearing his comment, and she was thrown into yet another spin. How could a man so childlike be so complex and enigmatic?

"I heard that too, sir."

Jack didn't say anything, and he didn't have to. Sam knew without looking it, that it was one of those rare times where he got embarrassed to the point of blushing, and the blood was currently rushing to his face. Apparently, it wasn't the only place the blood was rushing, as she felt _something_ poking into her back.

"Er General…" she asked, very cautiously, very timidly. _Déjà vu_.

He groaned as soon as he caught on, "Its my sidearm I swear."

"Of course sir," She giggled, just like the first time.

"Try not to have too much fun with this, Carter." He threatened, his fingers threatening an assault her ribs. Then he released her from his grasp, keeping his hands away from her body.

"Um sir. Just out of curiosity, just where _did_ you tuck my sidearm?"

"Actually, I can't…" He rolled over onto his back, and instantly arched up in pain, "Argh! No, I think I've found it,"

Slowly, sitting up against the wall again, knees drawn up, he reached back and slipped the sleek silver weapon from the back of his jeans.

"Hmmm…A semi-automatic Kimber Custom Target TSO I fires fifteen, 9mm rounds, with a muzzled velocity of 390mps. Silver plated with a reinforced grip," The ex-Special Ops man grinned like a crazy kid in a candy store as he held it out to her. "Notta bad piece of hardware..."

But when she made a grab for the weapon, he withdrew it out of her reach, "Which of course, brings me to the obvious question. What are you doing with this, Carter?"

He opened his fingers from the weapon, letting it rest in his open palm. The previously discharging weapon now lay innocently glinting in the changing room lights. But of course, both of them knew that it was anything but innocent. They both also knew who had the quicker reaction time, so the woman made no further attempt was made to reclaim the gun.

"It's a C.T TSO II." She muttered, correcting him.

"Fine, even worse. What were you doing with a Kimber Custom Target TSO _II_?" He stressed the last word.

"I don't have to tell you, you know?" She told him tersely.

"No, all I'm allowed to do is rip you a new one. But something happened to you, and as a friend, I want to know what that was, so I'm _asking_ you to tell me."

Sam shook her blonde head briskly, her hands finding her temples. She didn't know herself what had gotten into her. Ever since Jonas, she'd never quite been the same when it had come to relationships, and it unsettled her that the gun she'd gotten to protect herself from someone she hated had been used against someone she loved.

Then again, her relationships with men had never been very good. Her romantic ones started crashing themselves since about eight years ago. She had a feeling that one Jonathon O'Neill was to blame. But how could she explain that to him?

She remembered back to one of their first missions together. When they went to P3X- 513, and Daniel had eaten Macaroni cheese MRE's, which had tasted like chicken. Explaining to Daniel the men in her life encountered who had lunatic fringes. She remembered whispering to him that the Colonel and Teal'c were on that list too.

That had been a tough mission. She didn't usually let personal issues encroach on her work, but then again, you could get much more personal than a broken engagement and a deranged and violent ex.

After that mission, she had spent countless hours at the shooting range. She'd hesitated to shoot on that mission, and it could have cost Jack his life, she had to be sure it wouldn't happen again. Her team was important to her, not just Jack. She didn't want Daniel or Teal'c getting hurt because she couldn't aim well enough.

She didn't enjoy being hit by her ex-fiancé, and it hadn't been the first time either, only this time, her team was there to see. A team she had had to prove herself to get onto. It reminded her of her vulnerability, and she didn't like it. So she'd gone out and gotten one of the most lethal sidearm one could get their hands on.

There was a big black section on her file; in there, was the censored information from her time served during the Gulf War. And now that General O'Neill was asking about her weapon Carter had no idea whether to tell him or where to even begin. But that was how she'd been able to get contacts with that particular weapon.

Fact was, she would have logged a lot more airtime had she not been 'away' on a classified mission. At the time, her field experience made her a valid, but not the top candidate. However, when the mission had involved numbers and expertise in numerous branches of science, she'd been the only choice.

While on that mission, she had gotten her first glimpse at exactly how dark the war was. It was more than even mission debriefings were, and since then, it had always made her wonder how Black Op's personnel could deal with such conditions. To carry out orders without question, to kill, on a day-to-day basis.

Soon after, she had met Jonas. In retrospect; Sam reasoned she'd probably fallen for him because his life had been blackened by his experiences in covert ops and she wanted to help, but nothing more. It was true; she had a soft spot for a bit of a lunatic fringe, those who tried to stow away emotional baggage or those she wasn't allowed to have.

Which explained Jack O'Neill. After he'd gone through so much, he had still come out on top, not to mention he had all of the above. His independence was something that had drawn her attention to him. She knew he reveled in her attention, but he would never ask her to take care of him.

Not that she didn't love his day-to-day antics. He was sexy as hell when he wanted to be, and forever adorable when he broke something of hers. There was his complete inability to sit still, and not to mention his famous five-year old attention span. Then there was his personality that made him Jack O' Neill, the body, the smile…

And of course… anyone who told Kinsey to '_stick it where it where the Sun don't shine'_ in front of a rolling camera destined for the White House deserved a second glance.

Problem was, she didn't just glance at him. When her eyes strayed over him, they lingered, pondering the enigma of the package that was her leader. The defense mechanism that he'd erected in the form of snarkism. The dripping sarcasm more often than not distracted the real topic, so that even when it was stressed in critical situations, no one would be any the wiser.

No, there was no way she could explain to him. Baring her soul to him, with no insurance. Even if there were, it wouldn't be now. She just wanted to get away for a while. But he seemed so intent on finding out, and to understand, how could she turn him down.

"I promise, Jack. I will tell you one day," She told him gently, "But right now, I have a party waiting for me, and I just want some cake."

He looked disappointed, but he didn't push any further. Instead, he offered a hand to help her up, "Did I mention we got your favorite type of cake?"

"Triple blue Jell-O with vanilla cake on the bottom?" Her grateful look slowly turning into one of eager anticipatation.

"Yeahsureyabetchya!"

XxXxXxXxXx

A/N: This was just typing up loose ends. I decided I wouldn't put another cliffhanger in, because it seems to make people lose interest. I was a bit sad at the lack of reviews the last chapter drew in, but you guys can always make up for it this time and let me know what you think! (Hint! hint! LOL)

…They did manage to make up rather quickly didn't they…? Hehehe, you'll have to see where _that_ goes as well! Oh well, this is from a 14 year old's POV…so if it's too quick a make up…remember back to the inexperienced days…

Anyway, I **DO** have a rather important question to ask you readers this time, in regards to where you think this story should go.

**a) **Either I'll tie it up at the party, and be done with it in a chapter or two. OR….

**b)** I don't end it there, maybe draw it out another few chapters and put them all on a mission that forces Sam and her stubbornness to just dump Pete. This idea can be a sequel, but see; it works only if it's an unestablished Sam/Jack relationship, so that's why I'm interested in where you want this to go. Can't have it both ways!

Anyway, let me know what you thought of this chapter! I'm expecting heaps of reviews for updating so quickly! (Quick for me anyway!)

Storm

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24-11-2005

I know there was a bit of problem with this chapter's uploading. It's obviously been cleared up now! Sorry about that guys! Thanks for sticking around!


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